ManHandle my Mantle

Something is seriously wrong in my life if I haven't decided to transition my mantle for the season yet!
My 'Late Winter' look is about to hit the road today...and I think I can blame it on all this amazing non-traditional weather we've experienced lately!  A little accidental sunburn while working in the garden yesterday actually did wonders on my creative spirits!

It's Mantle Makeover Time!!!  What!?!

 First:

I gotta get these Old Broads Outta here!

 

I adore my early century Composition dolls, but they tell a story of 'Late Winter Mysticism' and it weighs too heavy on my Spring-Ready eyes.  "So- Bye Bye Birdies!  I will be sure to find an equally amazing place for you to reside, I promise!"  Another blog article, perhaps!?...

So here's the deal-  I am inspired today by a great book with a great title!

It seriously sums up my thoughts on Life!

We are, after all, living within one giant Garden- 

So we need to Celebrate it!

I want to celebrate Early Spring...not True Spring ('cause True Spring will need a full makeover too!)  And I love re-doing things too much to hold onto a concept for too long!

So my concept is inspired by a sweet book...and without honoring True Spring too early, I will use elements that are reminiscent of our gardens after a long hard winter thaw...(though, our winter this year was very mild...).

Here's the Recipe for this 'Man-handling'...or MantleHandling I will be doing today....

1.)  Beautiful, old, burgundy Bricks.

2.)  Kick-ass, aged, Terra-Cotta pots. 

3.)  Dried stems of Magnolia leaves.

4.)  Simplicity.  (I struggle with this one...)

Bricks make magnificent risers.

All my pots for this project are the same exact style and size.  Purposefully.

These live-dried beauties came from my Lily and Magnolia Christmas theme...ReUse!

Now that I have a full basket of fun elements, it's time to begin the transition- and remember, Simplicity is key when dealing with you mantle!  Too many textures and lines in a mantle design can create confusion and dis-jointedness...

Let's Do This~!

First- I will place my risers (bricks) asymmetrically on the mantle.  Because my pots are all the same size and style (to represent a solid concept), I need to use these great bricks as 'risers' to provide the linear movement this mantle will need to carry my eye across the design.  Looks strange at first...

...But when we add the pots and the inspirational book...the movement and excitement of the concept starts to come to life.  Now my design has a solid ground to start from.  What to put in those great pots?  

Candles?...  Ferns?...  Nothing?...

I use these beautiful dried Magnolia stems because the color and the texture is just what we need to present the 'Late Winter Thaw' I was referring to.  And with the tones of the rest of the space, these leaves create the 'vintage' look I am SO loving lately.  Notice how only three pots have been 'dressed' with leaves.  This allows for my my eyes to rest on Points of Interest in the movement of the design.  I also made sure each 'dressed' pot was on a different plane than the others...(giving me the movement I need...).

I decided the book was not working in the design (one too many elements) so I will keep it as my Inspiration only.  And besides, I really like the way the middle bar of the window shows through between the movement of the pots and the bricks- (the book was distracting that detail too much).  I am sure it will show up on display somewhere in the adjacent space, however.  It is a great book.

Now my Mantle has been Man-tle-Handled!    Yes!  

And I have a great pre-season theme here: The Late Winter Thaw.  Not too green, not too colorful, not too Spring.  Just right.  This also provides me with the 'backbone' for what is to come!

I love it when things bring life to other things.  It is an Ever-changing Life.

My Life as The Garden- A Celebration! is a Beautiful Life.

Cheers!